Bellevue’s Snowflake Lane

Ahhh Snowflake Lane… You love it, or you hate it… I hated it, until I figured out how to do it. There are a few key elements to a successful trip to Snowflake Lane: not parking at Bell or Lincoln Square, getting there just early enough to get a spot on the curb (but not so early that you’re waiting on the side of Bellevue Way for too long), going on a weekday, dressing warm enough! (to name a few…) This is definitely one of those holiday traditions that seems like a miserable, terrible idea until you look at your kids faces and realize how magical it is for them.

General Itinerary (weekday*):

5:45* – Dinner at Chipotle on NE 4th

6:25 – Walk 1 block to the north-east corner of Bellevue Way and NE 4th St

6:30* – Grab a seat on one of the street benches if you can find one, and keep busy

6:45 – Street begins to shut down to traffic, move down to the curb for premium viewing

7:00 – Parade & Snow

7:20 – Head home!

*if going on a weekend arrive at Chipotle at 5:30 and the street curb at 6:15 for a front-row seat

Bring:

Warm clothes, especially hats and gloves. We’ll even wear long underwear if it’s super chilly – you really need to be prepared to sit outside for up to an hour
Stroller – but only on a weekday. Don’t bother on the weekend. Navigating the crowds home is a nightmare on a Friday-Sunday night
Snacks, lollipops, HeadsUp! Kids App, or other little things to keep your kids entertained while you’re waiting

Don’t Bring:

Blanket to sit on – unless you think the street might be wet from some previous rain
Stroller on a weekend or otherwise expectedly busy night
Picnic dinner – definitely eat before, it’s too crazy to add this to the street-side scene

Weather:

This Christmas outing is definitely best on a crisp, clear night. We actually decide to do this quite spontaneously depending on our schedule and the weather forecast. We have been in the rain, and it was ok… but it made things more challenging.

Details:

Snowflake Lane is a Holiday Parade that runs down Bellevue Way between NE 4th St and NE 8th St every night at 7pm from November 29th through December 24th. Yep, every single day up to 10,000 people squeeze into this 2-block radius of Bellevue. Something to remember if you just happen to be in that area one evening – you definitely don’t want to accidently come upon this!

The first time we experienced this winter extravaganza I had no idea what was going on. My mom made dinner reservations for us at PF Changs and we sort of stumbled outside at 7 o’clock and thought: what on earth is happening?!??!?! This was back when it wasn’t a Parade, but more of a show and the entire thing was a complete zoo. They’ve made some great improvements that make it much more user friendly. But it still can be overwhelming on a perfect dry, crisp Saturday night.

Last year we actually went twice (I know!!!), once on a weekday and once on a weekend. I do think your strategy has to be a bit different depending on the day you go – I’ll touch on that as we go through the details. But for the most part we just watch the weather report and pick a night that’s dry and not too cold. I’ve been once in the rain, and I’ll try very hard never to do that again. It’s not as fun when you’re cold AND wet. There are enough dry nights over those 4+ weeks, you can usually hold out for good weather.

Our tradition is to have dinner first at the Chipotle on NE 4th St (10503 NE 4th St) at around 5:45. There’s a nice little parking lot in the back, their lower dining room (closed in 2022 but hopefully reopening soon) is super low key, they have high chairs, chips, salsa (and margaritas if needed). The line can be a bit long, if you can get it together enough to order online before you arrive, that may make your night a little easier.

Other dining options would be MOD Pizza on the west side of Bellevue Way, just south of NE 4th. However, there’s very little parking at this MOD. You could also venture into the acclaimed Lincoln Square South Food Hall – I’ve never done this, but I imagine a lot of other people would have the same idea, so it might be a bit crazy. You could also take my mom’s tactic and make dinner reservations at one of the restaurants that overlook Bellevue Way. I’d either pick a 2nd floor restaurant and make your reservation super far in advanced and request a window seat for 6:00. Or go early and be out the door by 6:30 (6:15 on a weekend) to get a good spot along the street for the Parade. Keep in mind that it’s going to take you longer to eat than usual – these Bell Square restaurants are very busy this time of year.

We have also skipped dinner entirely and parked at The Bellevue Connection Parking Lot (550 106th AVE NE) and walked directly to the parade route. Just do whatever you can to avoid parking in any of The Bellevue Collection Lots. Getting out when the parade is over is going to add 30 minutes (plus) to your trip home.

By 6:30 (6:15 on a weekend) we head over to the north-east corner of Bellevue Way and NE 4th St to the sidewalk just outside Lincoln Square South. There are actually a couple of benches along this part of the route that you can snag. Our kids enjoy just sitting on the curb, but the bench is always a nice spot for mom & dad. You definitely could sit anywhere along the parade route – it’s the exact same show no matter where you are sitting. But I like the south end because it seems less crowded.

Until about 6:45 Bellevue Way will still be in full business, with cars buzzing by. The trick is to keep your spot right up close to the street, while simultaneously keeping your kids from jumping into oncoming traffic. So fun!!! And something to keep in mind if you decide to partake in cocktails at dinner! If you have a really little mover (like our 15-month-old one year…) then maybe a few in your party could hold some seats and others could take a stroll down the block. But you definitely want to hold your seats, because it’ll start to get more and more crowded. If you arrive early or feel like for some reason the crowds are light that night, pop into the Peets Coffee/Capital One Café for a treat. We did this on our most recent visit – from here we had a clear view of the street and could gauge when to head outside. And the hot chocolate & bathrooms were super handy while we waited!

A word on strollers. Bringing a stroller would definitely be a great way to keep your kids contained while Bellevue Way is still open. But, one year when we went on a weekend and it would have been a nightmare trying to navigate the crowds back to our car with a stroller. If you’re there on a weekday and a stroller would be helpful, go for it. On a weekend I’d really try to go without.

I also would think twice before bringing a blanket to sit on. It’s Bellevue… the streets are clean. And the idea of keeping it flat and straight while my kids are sitting on it just sounds like too much work. If it’s been raining and you’re worried about sitting on wet ground then bring one, but otherwise don’t bother. We’ve never brought one and I’ve never wished I had one. But if I did, I’d bring my Matador Pocket Blanket.

Now that you’ve gotten your spot, you just have to keep busy until 7:00 when the parade starts. But good news, things really start happening around 6:45. First they close Bellevue Way, which is always a big relief for me! Let’s be honest, Snowflake Lane will not be so magical if your kid gets hit by a car… But then some of the characters start coming out and visiting with your kids, some hand out lollipops, others blow bubbles, they’ll take pictures, etc. We’ve brought our own lollipops for after dinner treats. Other entertainment ideas (which by the way are my same go-tos for waiting in line for Disneyland rides) are: HeadsUp! Kids App, games of I-Spy & ‘Mommy Says’, Rock-Paper-Scissors, and snacks. You shouldn’t have to keep busy for more than 15-30 minutes.

The Parade itself is a musical sequence of floats with various winter characters (including Santa!), dancers are interspersed, and at the end it starts “snowing” from the tops of the buildings. It’s 20 minutes of an insane Christmas Spectacular – your kids will love it!

Any time you’re doing something with 10,000 of your closest friends I think having a little plan can be super helpful. Hopefully these tips will help your family have an adventure this Christmas season to Snowflake Lane!

Links:

Snowflake Lane: https://snowflakelane.com/

Chipotle: https://locations.chipotle.com/wa/bellevue/10503-ne-4th-st

Destination Addresses:

Chipotle: 10503 NE 4th St, Bellevue, WA 98004

The Bellevue Connection Parking Lot: 550 106th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004

Our favorite Snowflake Lane viewing spot: 400 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, WA 98004